Public unis and the looming threat of session jams
The session jam problem in Bangladesh’s public universities is nothing new. Now, all public universities face a renewed threat of extended academic disruptions
Sayeed Ahmed Rinku is a final-year student of the Department of English at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST), Sylhet. He was supposed to graduate in 2023. However, it's now nearly the end of 2024 but he is still left with exams for one semester and another whole semester to complete. This means it will take him around eight to nine more months, at least.
Rinku comes from a struggling family. His mother is a cancer survivor, and his father earns very little. They count the days waiting for their eldest son to become an earning member. They frequently ask him when he will graduate and secure a job to support the family.
"How much longer do I have to keep giving them false hope?" Rinku asked.
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After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, every institution in the country is being overhauled, and universities are no exception. Thirty eight vice-chancellors (VCs) resigned after 5 August as they were part of Awami League's political machinery. In addition to the VCs, many pro-VCs and treasurers also resigned, which has disrupted administrative and academic activities.
At the time of writing this article, 28 public universities are still awaiting a VC appointment.
However, even before the mass uprising, all public universities had been indefinitely closed on 1 July due to teachers' strike protesting the Universal Pension Scheme. It has been more than two and a half months now. As a result, millions of students like Rinku now face the looming threat of 'session jam'.
It is disappointing that the new interim government still hasn't been able to bring back to class the very students whose relentless courage led to this mass uprising and the fall of dictatorship. Now, they are forced to take to the streets again, demanding a quick return to classes.
For instance, students locked the main gate of Chittagong University on 12 September, demanding the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor, while students of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur blocked the highway on 16 September. Finally, both universities have new VCs now.
This is a continuation of neglecting the education sector— the backbone of the nation, which should have been our top priority.
"Usually, decisions about exams are made centrally. Since the current situation is different, and it even varies across departments, the departments will have some autonomy. They will discuss with their faculty deans and make adjustments to the academic calendar to decide on starting and ending exams"
An old problem returns
The session jam problem is nothing new. Bangladeshi universities have a dark past with this curse, especially for the 80s and 90s batches. While there have been various contributing factors, political unrest has historically been the primary cause.
Additionally, late result publication due to delayed administrative processes, teachers' irregular attendance and failure to complete courses on time; students suspending classes over internal demands, are the other factors. The causes and contexts of session jam usually vary between universities and even departments.
This problem has somewhat decreased over the last 15 years. The main reason for this was less political instability on the ground, as the Hasina regime kept opposition parties completely suppressed.
In the last decade, Covid-19 first reintroduced the issue, during the 2020-21 session. Institutions remained closed for more than one and half years. However, students accepted this harsh reality, as the global pandemic affected everyone. But new challenges arose on various campuses, further extending the session jam.
In 2022, academic activities at SUST were disrupted for over two months due to a protest demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor, followed by Sylhet's worst flood in recent history.
Meanwhile, BUET students started protesting earlier this year, after Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists entered the campus. It led them to boycotting classes and exams. Notably, student politics was banned at BUET following the murder of Abrar Fahad by Chhatra League activists in 2019.
Now, all public universities have once again come to the same point, facing a similar threat of academic disruption.
The way forward
Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam, an educationist and Professor Emeritus of Dhaka University, said, "Efforts to restart administrative operations are ongoing, but recent floods have slowed progress. Repair works at student halls and other buildings are also needed. Top universities like DU can recover within a month once classes start, but other universities may take longer."
Dr Islam urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to increase monitoring to ensure that teachers are prepared to make up for lost time by putting in extra hours.
We asked Professor Sayema Haque Bidisha, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (administration) of Dhaka University about their plans to address the challenge.
"Right now, reopening classes is our top priority. It's been most urgent," she said.
"Usually, decisions about exams are made centrally. However, since the current situation is different, and it even varies across departments, the departments will have some autonomy. They will discuss with their faculty deans and make adjustments to the academic calendar to decide on starting and ending exams. However, we will definitely provide broad guidelines from our side," she added.
She further said that they are also considering whether the length of the semester can be shortened.
However, students have mixed reactions to shortened semesters. Some are eager to graduate quickly, while others prefer the usual semester length.
Tahmid Jaeef, a student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, said, "In a four-month semester, we barely understand the subjects before it ends with exams. Sometimes, we move on to the next semester without fully grasping the material. That's why I think a six-month semester makes more sense. I'd rather take more time and learn properly."
It appears that there is no quick fix for the session jam issue; instead, it demands long-term, sustainable solutions. Its roots are linked with systemic reforms.
As the interim government undertakes state reforms, addressing this must be given top priority. In his recent address to the nation, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus offered a glimmer of hope. He mentioned that both public and private universities are now heading towards a new beginning.
Only time will tell if this new beginning can finally free our public universities from the grip of session jams.
